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The headline fixture of the weekend commences at the hallowed Anfield turf, with Liverpool welcoming a buzzing Leicester City. Both teams are separated by seven points in the Premier League table, but there's a lot more to this game, in terms of significance.
The Reds have so far marched on in their bid for the title, but Brendan Rodgers, who also happens to be the former Liverpool boss, has refurbished this Leicester side from just fierce counter-attackers to a team with a bit more fluidity, fluency and solidity.
They're orchestrating the kind of aesthetic that made people fall in love with the beautiful game but Rodgers would know full well that facing a side that hasn't lost any of its previous 43 encounters at home is bound to be full of thorns and obstacles.
Both sides have a nearly fit squad, with Liverpool's Joel Matip expected to be the only absentee from the regular playing XI. The Foxes will be delighted to have the services and innovation of James Maddison behind Jamie Vardy.
We don't expect a side such as that of the stature of Leicester to sit back and let Liverpool launch constant arrows at their bracers. They have immaculate quality on the counter and it may well be a question of who gives the ball away cheaply or commits an error.
Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans will have to stay alert for the entirety of the 90 minutes as a spare second could result in a potential nemesis against a set of forwards who rely on their lightning quick pace to break free.
Wilfried Ndidi will have to close Roberto Firmino down as he remains the constant source of creativity for the Reds.
As far as Liverpool are concerned, they'll require a layer of foiling down their defensive channels, mainly because their full backs love marauding forward. Sheffield United aimed to exploit the same last weekend and you'd bet on Leicester to do the same come Saturday.
Verdict
It's going to be a closely contested match for sure but expect Liverpool to boss possession in large phases. The likes of Ricardo Pereira, Maddison and Vardy will be tasked with initiating and rounding off counters. We can surely expect Leicester to score, but will it be enough to contain the front three of the Reds? Probably not.
Predicted score: Liverpool 3-2 Leicester City
